The multiplane camera consisted of a series of glass planes, each of which was painted with a different part of the scene. The planes were arranged one behind the other, with the closest plane being the foreground and the farthest plane being the background. The camera was then placed in front of the planes and moved forward and backward to create the illusion of movement.
As the camera moved, the different planes moved at different speeds, creating a sense of depth. For example, the foreground plane would move faster than the background plane, making it appear to move closer to the viewer. The multiplane camera also allowed for the creation of special effects, such as zooming in and out and panning across the scene.
The multiplane camera was used to create some of the most iconic animated films of all time, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Pinocchio (1940), and Fantasia (1940). It was also used in later films such as The Little Mermaid (1989) and The Lion King (1994).
The multiplane camera was eventually replaced by computer animation, but it remains an important part of animation history. It was a major step forward in the development of animation, and it allowed for the creation of more realistic and immersive animated scenes.